Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 12, 1995 TAG: 9501130017
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There's nothing wrong with peaceful protesters, but this violence must be stopped.
Hospitals are downsizing due to the lack of patients anyway, and they should have ample space to rent to abortion clinics. It could help abortion clinics become a low-key issue.
HARRY D. MOOCK ROANOKE
Criminals aren't in short supply
ROBERT A. Heller (Dec. 30 letter to the editor, ``Go for all-purpose welfare reform'') had some interesting ideas, but his plan to use orphanages to produce criminals isn't necessary. Our current system produces more than we need, and while the orphanage system may cost less, I don't think it can compete with the quantity we're now getting.
PAUL RICHARDSON SR. MARTINSVILLE
The trouble started in the early '60s
IS NEWT Gingrich a rebel? Maybe, maybe not, but maybe we need more like him.
We don't own our country - excuse me, our government's country - any more. The country has been on a downhill slide since John F. Kennedy was elected. This country is living a lie. Those in prominent positions are afraid to speak the truth. Since I'm not running for dogcatcher in the next election, I'm not afraid.
Trouble started in the early '60s. Civil rights, the Dr. Spock mentality, removing prayer from schools and a liberal Congress for 40 years. What's wrong with civil rights? Nothing. It just wasn't handled properly. Government has such a high opinion of itself that it thinks if it passes a law, citizens will automatically conform. Forced busing, school quotas and forced hiring. Government passes these laws, and then dumps them on the states to comply.
The middle class bears this country's burden. We subsidize the poor, pay for schools, highways and government's high living at every level.
There has been government corruption before, it's happening now, and will happen again. But I've never seen anything like the Arkansas Mafia. Gingrich stated that one-fourth of the administration had used drugs. I think his estimation was probably very low.
President Clinton is a member of the baby-boomer generation that also fell into the time zone of the start of drugs, sex culture, etc. The same characters who stood against their government in a treasonous manner have wiggled their way to the White House.
Liberal Democrats have stated on television and in newspapers their support of deficit reduction by the billions of dollars. Do you believe this? If you do, you'll have to give credit to them for their foresight to put forth in their budget millions of dollars for troop deployment all around the world, and to feed and maintain various refugees from Cuba and Haiti when they refuse to take care of us.
GARY K. SPENCE CHRISTIANSBURG
Area couple focuses on world peace
THE DEC. 25 Horizon section article ``Waging peace frustrating, time-consuming - but it beats war,'' by David Wood of the Newhouse News Service, is a timely reminder of the alternatives to force in dealing with conflict. Wood cited numerous examples of mediation efforts that were instrumental in reducing violence that are rarely, if ever, headline news.
A number of Roanoke area residents have been involved in citizen diplomacy over the years. Student-exchange programs, projects abroad sponsored by Witness for Peace and local churches, and a variety of relief efforts are a few examples of personal involvement paving the way toward resolution of seemingly intractable problems.
Particularly impressive has been the work of Sue and Steve Williams, formerly of Roanoke. She was on the staff at this newspaper in the early '80s, and both were instrumental in forming the Plowshare Peace Center. Their commitment to peacemaking took them to many troubled spots, including Uganda, South Africa and Northern Ireland. In residence in Quaker House in Belfast for five years, they arranged meetings with at least 72 political leaders with opposing views in an atmosphere of trust, and away from the glare of publicity. Those aware of their work weren't surprised when the IRA declared a cease-fire and expressed a desire to move away from violence. The Williams are currently in residence at Woodbrooke, a Quaker study center in Birmingham, England, teaching a course on working with conflict. They have recently published a book on informal political mediation titled, ``Being in the Middle by Being at the Edge.''
We're grateful for all efforts, great and small, that work constructively toward healing our wounded world.
HENRY WOODWARD Steering Committee president Plowshare Peace and Justice Center ROANOKE
by CNB